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Days after the Beau Jeu ball burst in the match involving hosts France and Switzerland, Adidas have announced that they will be introducing a new ball for the knockout stages of the competition. Given the name Fracas – which means clamor in French, this football will be on show for the first time on the 25th of June.

Looking at the history of European Championships, this is the first time ever that multiple balls will be used in a single competition. Adidas doesn’t mind this fact of course as they hope that this football could be able to bring the excitement back to the competition.

So far in 24 games at Euro 2016, 26 teams have been able to score only 48 goals. This goal count when compared with the 2008 and 2012 Euros presents a harrowing picture.

At exactly the same stage in Euro 2008, the first 24 games saw 57-goals. Euro 2012 was even better as it saw 60 goals in the first 24 games. Thus, as far as goals are concerned, Euro 2016 is lagging far behind its predecessors.

Fracas is an advanced version of the Brazuca ball which was used in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. With a better grip, improved during-flight visibility, and unique shape, Adidas says that this ball reflects the “winner takes all” mentality that will be prevalent in the knockout stages.

Another feature which differentiates Fracas from its predecessor is the pattern of lines that are drawn over it. In contrast to the Beau Jeu – which had clean lines on it, this football is decorated with a dynamic red and black pattern.

This fact of Fracas was acknowledged by Adidas themselves as they claimed that they wanted to be “bold with our design”.

“Fracas is a more disruptive design (than Beau Jeu). It represents the noise of the crowd and the excitement around a winner takes all mentality on the pitch”. Said Sam Handy, Vice President of Design.

Even though Fracas was officially inaugurated today, this ball has been employed previously in various Leagues across Europe. While it wasn’t given its name then, Fracas was used in Premier League, La Liga, and in a friendly involving Spain and England last November.

French midfielder Paul Pogba is serving as the brand ambassador of Fracas. The midfielder has a mixed Euro 2016 so far with his performances being in stark contrast to that of his teammates. With the likes of Dimitri Payet and Olivier Giroud in hot form in front of the goal, the Juventus midfielder has been booed by the French faithful at several occasions.

However, now that Fracas has been inaugurated, Pogba would hope that the new football could bring luck for him in the knockout stages.

Jun

09

2016

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Adidas has recently revealed the “Beau Jeu” Euro 2016 official match ball which has brought an interesting design for the Euro 2016 in France. The ball is officially named as “Adidas Euro 16 Beau Jeu” ball. The ball was initially uncovered by previous captain of the French football team, Zinedine ZIdane, who posted on his instagram: I am glad to unveil “Beau Jeu”, the official match ball for the euro 2016 tournament from Adidas. The football name implies beautiful game. White is the main color of the match ball which is combined with shades of blue and red color. The name of the football is written on the top of it along with the Euro 2016 logo. The upper part of this football is so attractive and inspiring because of Euro 2016 logo. The match ball has the numbers 2, 0, 1 and 6 on and the design in which they are written shows some special visual indications of the Euro 2016 tournament.

While developing this ball for more than an year and a half, Adidas has taken the best components of the highly cherished “Brazuca” FIFA World Cup’s Official Match Ball and has added a French touch to it. The Adidas UEFA 2016 Official Match Ball has passed through all FIFA tests on weight, boundary, bounce back and water retention. The thermally reinforced, consistent surface takes into account a more unsurprising flight way, better feel of the ball and lower water uptake. The match ball has the panel design just like the 2014’s “Brazuca” football. The six panel configuration of the Adidas “Beau Jeu” Euro 2016 Official Match Ball is made for genuine flight, accuracy and control. “Beau Jeu” still has “Brazuca’s” inventive and broadly applauded board shape, however changes made to the surface structure and blocking, offer enhanced grasp and upgraded in-flight perceivability individually. Various prominent players all throughout Europe tried the football and conveyed input amid the 18 month improvement period including Wales forward Gareth Bale who said: “I formally tried “Beau Jeu” on the ground for preparing long shots, passes and running at pace. It performed splendidly. I can hardly wait for the competition/tournament to begin. The well-known Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas additionally said: “We as of now got the opportunity to utilize Beau Jeu in some serious instructional meetings. As a goalkeeper, it’s critical to have the opportunity to take objective kicks, rehearse shot-ceasing, punch, catch, and toss any new football. “Beau Jeu” will be formally given over to all contending leagues before the end of November 2015 keeping in mind the end goal to give all players a six month window to prepare and play with the football before the competition kick off in June 2016. “Beau Jeu” will be incredible at EURO 2016. The new football “Beau Jeu” will be accessible to buy beginning Friday thirteenth November at Adidas own-retail outlets and master retailers around the world. The draw for EURO 2016 is scheduled to take place on Saturday 12th of December.

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On November 12, 2015, Adidas revealed the match ball for the group stages of the upcoming UEFA Euro Championships. As if the football wasn’t enough on its own to make the football fans drool, Adidas chose French Legend Zinedine Zidane to present the ball in its opening ceremony.

If you’re wondering what “Beau Jeu” means, it translates to “beautiful game” in the French Language. Also at a time when both UEFA and FIFA are mired in controversies that have stunned them both, the unveiling of “Beau Jeu” football is a much-needed boost to their ailing hierarchies.

Looking at the shape of “Beau Jeu” and it is noticed by a large number of football fans that it resembles “Brazuca” in appearance. However, while Adidas have acknowledged the aforementioned fact, the Company has claimed that it has modified the surface structure as well as the panel shape of “Brazuca” to give it a new shape in the form of “Beau Jeu”.

Another thing which is worth mentioning about the “Beau Jeu” Football is the ability of FIFA to learn from its mistakes. Unlike its predecessor “Brazuca” which was handed to the teams on the verge of FIFA World Cup 2014 – a decision which caused a lot of problems, UEFA gave football teams the access to “Beau Jeu” at the end of last year.

How Players Rated “Beau Jeu”

Taking a look at the names of players who have trained with “Beau Jeu” some heavyweights come into the picture. Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale trained with “Beau Jeu” in training sessions and the Welshman claimed that it performed brilliantly and let’s not forget the fact that Bale will be the most powerful weapon for the Welsh National team in the upcoming tournament.

Another player who is an admirer of this football is the veteran Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas. While he might not be atop the pecking order for Spain in the upcoming Euros, Casillas has trained with “Beau Jeu” on several occasions during his stay at FC Porto last season.

Technical Specifications

In comparison to the “Brazuca” which had an opened diamond shape design across the panels, the “Beau Jeu” football has a closed variable dimpled design across the panels. While this is a minor difference for the naked human eye, Adidas believe that this difference will make “Beau Jeu” a whole lot different from its Brazilian counterpart.

Apart from the aforementioned difference – which isn’t very visible, to say the least, “Beau Jeu” has taken most of its features from the “Brazuca”. Being a speedy traveler through the air, this football is perfect for varying weather conditions and its durability is also impeccable.

One thing that is worth mentioning here is the graphic design on “Beau Jeu”. While we know by now that Adidas has given “Beau Jeu” a French look – as evident from the bluish shade that is engraved on the panels, the red and blue colors that are painted across the football are taken from the EURO 2016 logo. So, as far as winning the hearts of the home fans is concerned, Adidas has left no stone unturned.

Thus, if you feel enamored by the aforementioned description of the ball, I would suggest going to the market in search of it. Because if you plan to buy it after the advent of EURO 2016, the demand for this football is going to go through the roof which will also impact its price.